LXG: The New Generation
by My Old Fics
Summary: Over a century ago, there was the League. The members have all died since. When Dorian Gray is suspected to be alive and hiding undercover in a public school in Ireland, the children of the original League are sent to investigate the matter. [ON HIATUS]
1. Introductions and Recruitment

**The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen:  
****The New Generation  
**

Chapter 1  
Introductions and Recruitment

"Oi, Michael," Joe hissed. He was talking to a bigger boy sitting behind him. The boy lifted his head up form his work and glared at Joe, exasperated.

"What is it, Joe?"

"Pass this to that Amy bird, will ya?" Joe dropped a folded piece of paper onto Michael's desk as soon when the teacher wasn't looking.

Still glaring, Michael hissed, "All right. Just this once. Don't expect any more favours anytime soon."

"Cheers, mate."

Michael folded the paper into a more streamlined shape and as soon as the teacher turned away, he threw it to the shy girl sitting on the other side of the room. It landed precisely on the girl's textbook in little more than a second. By the time the teacher looked at them again, Amy had already slid the paper into her desk drawer.

It was at this time that a knock issued from the door. Mrs. Smith the old teacher went to get it and standing there was an impeccably-dressed moustachioed man, a book tucked under his arm. He said something to her, and then she went out to continue the conversation.

Amy took out the note. "Dear Amy Harker," it read, "You are the most beautiful bird I've ever seen, love. Fancy a snog? Love, Joe." Amy glared at Joe from across the room. Joe grinned back at her. He nudged Michael. "Reckon she fancies me, eh?" Michael just shook his head without looking up and continued working.

The teacher came back into the room, and the man could still be seen standing in the doorway. "Michael, Joseph, Amelia and Mr. Jekyll. Will the four of you kindly step outside for a moment." Amy quickly shoved the note away into her pocket. Joe glanced at Michael and Amy, receiving glares in return. Augustus Jekyll, a small and pale boy sitting in the far corner was looking frail and miserable, as always. The whole class was whispering and shooting odd glances at the lot now.

"Uh, we haven't done nuffin', Miss," Joe called out.

Only to receive a glare from Mrs. Smith, too. "I certainly hope not. Mr. Charles Shaw from the Department of Defence at the ministry wishes to have a word with you. Go on, out."

Reluctantly, the four children got up from their desks and headed for the door. Jekyll was the last one out, and he looked as if he were about to faint. "It's going to be all right," the teacher told him as he walked out the door.

* * *

"Right, then." The man – Mr. Charles Shaw – clapped his hands. "I suppose I ought to introduce myself. My name is Charles Shaw, and I work at the Department of Defence in the ministry. Nothing to fear, I'm not a bad man. Not a kidnapper or anything of that sort. I believe your father can vouch for me, Mr. Quatermain." He turned to Michael. "Mr. Quatermain. Have you ever thought about your ancestors… who they might be… what they might have done?"

"Criminals, were there?" Michael asked, confused. "Did they do something horrible that I'll have to take responsibility of?"

Mr. Shaw shook his head hastily. "No, no… nothing of the sort. It's a the complete opposite, in fact." He turned to address everyone. "Your forefathers… and foremother, so it would seem… were heroes."

"And so you have come to recruit us to form the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen once more." Jekyll had spoken.

Mr. Shaw was quite taken aback.

Everyone was wondering what was wrong with that Jekyll lad. What a ridiculous comment that was, that ponce, what was he on about?

Joe broke the silence – he burst out laughing. "Honestly, Gus… been reading too many o' those comic… ahem, _graphic novels_… haven't you?"

Mr. Shaw spoke up. "Mr. Jekyll is right. Yes, indeed. That is indeed what I have come to do. My orders are to seek out the descendants of the original League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and reform the League."

Michael stared at Mr. Shaw. "So, our grandfathers were Extraordinary Gentlemen, then?"

"Great-grandfathers. For your case, Mr. Quatermain, it was your great-great-grandfather. And Miss Harker, it was your great-grandmother. And yes, they were blessed with – or cursed with, for some – skills beyond ordinary human standards."

"I have heard of the legend of our forefathers. Incidentally, their recruitment turned out to be a façade. The man who recruited the very League happened to be the villain himself," Jekyll said. He folded his arms and stared evenly at Mr. Shaw.

"I assure you, I am no villain. Far from it, in fact. Tell me then, Mr. Jekyll – you seem very well-informed – have you heard of a man called Dorian Gray?"

"Yes. He was the traitor."

"Yes, he was. It was said that he died – Miss Harker's great-grandmother saw it personally, for it was she who caused the death. After a lengthy fight, Miss Harker – Mina Harker – managed to procure Dorian Gray's enchanted portrait, which bore his years and his sins. She showed it to him, and he withered away and turned into dust. The portrait of the man grew young and beautiful once more, and everyone thought the man was gone. Well, just recently, the painting has been changing, the man's face decaying ever so slightly every once in a while. We suspect that Dorian Gray might very well be back."

" 'ang about, 'ang about… how'd a man who turned into dust come back to life? I thought turning into dust is a permanent thing, innit?" Joseph asked.

"We have no idea as of yet how or why he is back, but we will find out very soon. Which is where your help will be needed. We are sending the League to investigate this matter."

"We're just lads, mister. Why's the government sending children on spy missions?" Joseph asked, still uneager about the idea.

"We have reason to suspect that Mr. Gray is working undercover as a teacher in a public school in Ireland."

"What makes you think we've got the extraordinary skills our ancestors had?" Amy asked.

"Because I have faith in you that with or without any powers, you will succeed in this mission. It's true, we cannot be certain of whether you still have the skills or not. Well, yes, I'm quite certain that Miss Harker and Mr. Skinner are still in possession of a measure of the powers of their forefathers."

Amy looked down at the mention of her name. It was horrible, this curse… to use it one day would turn her into a savage beast, she was sure of it. And there might be no turning back.

"What about the rest of the League? It can't be just the four of us, obviously," Michael asked.

"Yes, of course, there are two more. Mr. Sawyer and Miss Nemo."

"That wouldn't be Bob – Robert – Sawyer, would it? Little American lad, straw-coloured hair, very nice kid? Lives across the street from my house."

"Yes, Robert Sawyer is his name. Also, at this Irish public school you shall be attending, you will be joined up with a rather unpleasant boy around your age. His name is Artemis Fowl. He has agreed to assist the League on this mission."

" 'ave we got to pay for the semester, then?" Joe asked.

"No, all financial matters will be settled by the ministry." Mr. Shaw checked his watch. "Ah, I have to leave. I shall stop by each of your homes personally to explain everything later in the afternoon. Until then, I bid you good day."

With that, he walked away.

The four of them exchanged glances.

"What d'you reckon?" Joe asked.

"He's a decent chap. I believe him. We'll just see how it all plays out when hecomes by later," Michael replied. "I think we should get back inside."

The newly-inducted members of the League shuffled back into the classroom, showing no hint at all as to the conversation that had just taken place. Anything to do with the League would have to wait till afternoon. Right now, they had classes to attend, like any other children in the country.


	2. Unofficial League Meeting, 1st

**The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen:  
****The New Generation**

**Chapter 2  
****Unofficial League Meeting, #1**

"And so I said, yeah, o' course I'm in. Why won't I be, see? I got nuffin' to lose by going, and hey, it's all in good fun, innit?"

It was lunchtime at school. Michael slid his tray onto the table and squeezed into the spot between Joe and Amy, earning a glare from Joe who was obviously trying to get Amy. Jekyll was sitting opposite them, surrounded by text books and bits of paper.

"Jekyll. Why are you at our table? Don't you usually work in the corner over there?" Michael asked. He realised that he sounded rude. "Um, it's all right, of course, but I just thought… you didn't like to hang out."

Jekyll gave no indication of having heard a single word. He was engrossed in his writing.

Michael looked to Joe. Joe simply shrugged.

"So. How was it?"

"Better than I'd expected, Joe. My parents took it well. Mum was a bit concerned about my safety, though. Shaw told her it's all for the greater good and all that, and she caved in. Mind you, after that, my parents have been spoiling me. I even got ice cream for dinner last night. I feel a bit bad about it, though. It's like they think I won't come back. Shaw told them we'd be back as soon as the mission's down." Michael paused and shoved a big spoonful of mash potatoes in his mouth. "I think my parents think I'm going to die on the mission or something." He munches on some fries. "What about you, Joe?"

"Oh, it was amazing. See, Shaw came over and acted like it was a big thing – like it was the end o' the world or sumfin'. He went on and on and on 'bout the risks and all. But here's the amazing thing. My folks agreed to lemme go as soon as they heard. And then Shaw turned to me and said it's ultimately my choice. And so I said, yeah, o' course –"

"Oh will you stop it already," Amy said. From her expression it was evident that it wasn't the first time she heard that story. "You've been saying that ever since I got here, Skinner."

"Yeah, I'm telling it again, 'cause he hadn't heard it before, see?" Joe protested.

"Right, then, I'm off," Amy said. She went off rather hurriedly.

"What's with her?" Michael asked.

Joe shrugged. "I dunno, she's been like that ever since I got here."

"Ah, I believe that explains her behaviour, then." Jekyll had finally looked up from his work and decided to partake in the conversation.

"Listen, you miserable git –" Joe started angrily, jabbing a finger in Jekyll's direction.

"Hey, hey… calm down, Joe. Don't get so worked up just because you can't get a girl," Michael said, pushing Joe's arm down.

Joe shut up and folded his arms.

Michael shovelled more mash potatoes into his mouth. "So, Jekyll, how was your recruitment?"

Jekyll was back to being engrossed in his work by then. His head snapped up when he heard the question. "I, uh…" he started. A gulp involuntarily escaped. "I'd rather not say."

"Suit yourself."

Looking slightly hurt, Jekyll stood suddenly and gathered all his things, and then he left.

"Bloody hell, the League's gonna be dysfunctional, I can tell," Joe remarked. "I mean, we can't even talk to each other civilly and all that."

"Last time I checked, you're the one who drove them away," Michael said.

"Bet your life on it, eh? You're the one who scared the Jekyll lad off."

"I did not… !"

"Yes, you did."

"Look, I don't want to argue with you. You're right, none of us are getting along, and I don't want to lose you too."

"Yeah." Joe looked thoughtful for a moment, a rare expression for him. " 'ey, Michael, what'd ya think of that Shaw bloke?"

"He's all right." Michael shrugged.

"Don't you think he's a bit suspicious and all that? I mean, look 'ow he just turns up and wants us lads, no less, to go on this secret mission of some sort. I mean, if he's who he says he is, he's got to have lots of 'em spies and secret agents and what have ya to do that kinda thing."

"My dad says he's a decent chap. Just got to get his priorities straight, is all."

"Which priorities are those, then?"

"My dad says he cares too much about some things he shouldn't."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, really. Something about money, I think."

"Oh, he's just like an ordinary person, then. I mean, who doesn't care about money?" Joe chuckled.

"Yeah. Right, I got to go." Michael finished up the last of his food. "See you later, then, Joe?" He picked up his tray and left.

Leaving Joe sitting there by his lonesome.

"Right, then."

He rose from the table and walked down the aisle.

"Oi, Jim! Didja hear about Mr. Berkley and his hairpiece!"

Being Joe Skinner, he couldn't last a moment alone.

* * *

Jekyll slumped down in the bench, looking exhausted beyond measure. On closer inspection, he looked slightly upset.

Amy turned to him and asked, "Are you all right?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. I've spent a great deal of energy – perhaps too much – on my work."

"I mean, really, you sure you're fine? Did Joe do something to you?"

"He didn't do anything worse than I'm used to, I'm sure. It's all right. I thank you for your concern over my well-being, but I assure you, I'm quite fine."

"Recess's not over yet. I bet they're still in there goofing around… boys…" Amy glanced at Jekyll. "Sorry, no offence."

"None taken."

"Hey, why aren't you with them, then? If you're here to check up on me, well, let me _assure you_, I'm fine too."

"No, no, I'm not here to check up on you. Um… the conversation was going into a rather unpleasant direction. So I left."

"Good. I know how unpleasant Joe can be sometimes."

"No, it wasn't him. It was… personal." Jekyll looked at her. "You talk about Skinner fairly often. And I've noticed, so does he. The only difference is that he talks of how lovely you are, and you speak of his badness. Um, is there… anything…" He gestured aimlessly around with his hands. "Um, you know… is there anything… going on… between –"

"Yech… no, of course not. I'm shocked you'd even think that. As far as I'm concerned, Joe's a desperate git and I don't feel anything for him." Amy twiddled her thumbs. "Um, how did your parents react when Shaw told them the news?" She didn't give him time to answer, however, and he was thankful for that. "Mine said no, a straight-out no. Said I'd be wasting my time… what's a little girl like me going to do, save the world? They think I'll be risking my life unnecessarily and my grades would drop. They never gave in, even when told that the school I'll be going to is one of the best schools in Britain and that I'd receive a top quality education while I'm there. Finally, Shaw said that I have no choice but to go, because I am needed there. Now, my parents won't even talk to me." She slumped, sighing. "It's not like I _wanted_ to go anyway. I hate my life."

_"I hate my life."_ That struck a chord in Jekyll. Jekyll thought of his own household. There was only his mother – his father had left before he was born. No, don't think about them. Best not to think about them. "I think it's an honour to be selected and entrusted with the duty of the League. I'm rather keen on going away for a while." He didn't say why.

He looked away and stared at the painting of a man on a horse on the wall opposite them. His mind, on the other hand, was not on the painting – though he did find it interesting – but on his life and the present circumstances. He had a feeling that the girl was also lost in thought.

_RRIING!_ Off went the bell.

"Ah, good day to you, then, Miss Harker," Jekyll said as he stood up gravely and walked away.

"Same to you, _Mr._ Jekyll," she called out, mocking his formality. Without wasting a moment, she ran off to her next class.

Thus, the day played out as usual. This was to be their last day as ordinary children.


	3. The League is Gathered

**The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen:  
****The New Generation**

**Chapter 3  
****The League is Gathered**

That afternoon, Shaw had stopped by each of their homes to fetch them. When Michael got in, he saw that Joe, Amy and Bob were already in the limousine. He looked around in awe.

"Bloody awesome, innit? I've never been in a limo before," Joe said, grinning.

Michael said, "Yeah." He went in and sat down beside Bob, opposite Joe and Amy, who at least seemed to be at peace at the moment. "All right, Bob?"

Bob nodded. "Hey, Michael."

"Where's Jekyll?" Michael asked. Joe and Amy shrugged.

Bob furrowed his brows. "Who's Jekyll?"

"He's this miserable lad who don't like company. Real little. He's like a boffin, though, really smart."

"Oh."

Mr. Shaw could be heard talking to Mr. And Mrs. Quatermain. There was a short laugh, and Mrs. Quatermain told him to take care of Michael. Shaw said to not worry, everything would turn out all right. After exchanging their goodbyes, Mr. Shaw entered the vehicle.

"Everyone all right back there?"

"Yes, Mr. Shaw," came their reply.

"All right, then." The car started, and soon the ride went along smoothly.

Bob turned to Michael. "Hey, Michael, whaddya think about this? I never knew about a League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and here I am, chosen for the job."

"Yeah. I think it's awesome, being chosen. Makes me feel kinda special, you know? I didn't know there was a League, too, before Shaw came along and told us about it. I think Jekyll's the only one who knew about the League. No surprise, though. He knows all sorts of weird things."

Bob looked at Amy and Joe, who were bickering in whispers.

"What's up with them?" he asked Michael.

"Ah, well, see, Joe fancies Amy but she doesn't quite return the feeling. In fact, I think she hates him."

"Bickering like an old married couple, aren't they?" Bob sniggered.

Michael snorted. "Yeah."

They sat through the remainder of the car ride making small talk and listening to Joe and Amy bicker.

* * *

After what seemed to be an hour or so, the car slowed to a halt.

Bob immediately leapt out of the car, followed very closely by Michael. "Finally…!" Bob exclaimed. "I've just known them and they're already starting to annoy me. How're you able to sit through that, I just don't know."

"I'm probably immune to it by now, from having to endure it… all my life." Michael grinned.

Slowly, Amy emerged from the limo, followed by Joe. They appeared to have stopped with their bickering and were now trying to avoid each other.

"Whoa." Joe's jaw dropped. "What is this place?"

They all looked ahead. There was a huge mansion ahead that looked as though it belonged in the Victorian era.

"Is this where we'll be staying, then?" Joe asked, grinning ear to ear.

"Yes. You'll be staying here for a week before we leave for Ireland." That was Mr. Shaw, who had just gotten out of the vehicle, and was walking towards them. "Come on, we don't want Mr. Jekyll and Miss Nemo to worry. We took a longer time to arrive than I had expected, due to the traffic congestion we encountered. I told them we'd be back in a bit more than half an hour, and look, now it's…" He checked his watch. "Three minutes past five. That's more than an hour." He gestured at them to follow him. "Come on, then."

They walked a short distance and reached the mansion in just a few minutes. Shaw lifted the ornate door-knock and rapped the door twice. After a quick wait, the heavy wooden double doors creaked open – just like in the horror films, remarked Joe – and there stood a prim and proper butler. "Bloody hell, we get a butler too!" Joe exclaimed, grinning ear to ear now. "Will he do everything I tell him to, then?"

The butler frowned at him. "I assure you, young man, I can hear you perfectly from here. And, yes, I suppose I do have to take your orders, as per the arrangement. However, if Mr. Shaw's orders contradict your own, I'm afraid he outranks you."

"Don't matter… ! You'll let us do anything we want, won't you, Mr. Shaw?" Joe asked, quite sure that the answer would be yes.

Shaw looked at Joe and shook his head in defeat. "We'll see."

The butler led the way through the mansion's confusing corridors.

"Shame… I won't be able to sneak around. It's like one o' those… labyrinths… in here. Oi, Mike, if I do get lost in my night-time wandering, do come and look for me, will ya?" Joe said cheerfully.

Shaw gave Joe a stern look. "You will not go on any night-time strolls, do you hear me? Now, this mansion is one of the safest place to be. But it is only safe because of a very good security system. Our traps, if you will, are handed down from the previous generations of land owners. They don't possess the level of sophistication our modern security systems have, therefore they cannot tell if you are a friend or an enemy. You could very well be killed in friendly territory."

Joe was quite put off by the lecture and he could be seen making faces at Shaw when Shaw turned away.

"Ah, here we are," Shaw said as the butler pushed another set of double doors open.

Inside, seated at a long dinner table, was Jekyll and an Indian girl, sitting opposite each other. They appeared to be in conversation.

"I believe most of you already know Mr. Jekyll. Allow me to introduce… Miss Judith Nemo."

She waved shyly and said, "Hello." Michael noted that she had a perfect English accent.

"Well, I'll leave you all to it, then. Dinner will be ready in an hour. You needn't leave this room, for I'm sure you have plenty to discuss." With that, Mr. Shaw left, along with the butler, who closed to doors behind them. The children were incredibly relieved when they didn't hear any locks clicking shut.

Those who had just arrived settled into the seats surrounding Jekyll and Nemo.

"Jekyll!" Michael began. "How'd you get here before us?"

"Mr. Shaw was kind enough to grant me asylum here when he visited my house yesterday. The circumstances are rather personal, but suffice it to say, I have been here since yesterday."

"Ah, right. How is it? I mean," Michael grinned, "Any ghosts or anything?"

"No, I have yet to see a spirit about."

"Right. Good to know." Michael turned around to see Joe chatting with Judith.

"So, Jude… India's very exotic, innit?" Joe asked, and Amy could be heard telling him matter-of-factly, "She's English..." Joe turned to her, annoyed, and shushed her.

"I wouldn't know. I've never been to India. I'm from Oxfordshire. And please, all my friends call me Judy."

Having being proven wrong, Joe tried to cover up. "Yeh, I know. But India's nice and exotic all the same, innit?"

"Yes, I think so. I'd love to go there some day, see how it's like."

He quickly decided to change the subject. "Hey, how'd you get along with that Jekyll lad before we got here? I mean, he's got his head buried in some musty old book most of the time, and when he's not, he'll be sitting around moping like he's at a funeral, y'know? He's that lost." Joe circled his index finger at his temple – the universal sign for crazy. "Y'know. He's a nutter."

"I happen to be very keen on books," Judy said curtly. "And as a matter of fact, I found him to be a very interesting person to talk to."

"Ah. Right." Amy was smirking at Joe, who glared at her.

"Jekyll and I had an interesting conversation about our ancestors. I'm the descendant of the legendary Captain Nemo. He was an inventor, and a very skilled fighter, too. Jekyll said he realized his own forefather wasn't the best person there was, but he was a brilliant scientist, just on the wrong trail is all."

"Yeah? I bet my great-grandfather was a brilliant man or some sort of glorified warrior, too."

"You're Skinner, aren't you? We were just talking about your forefather. Jekyll said that he was a ruffian and a thief." Joe looked indignant. "Oh, don't get me wrong. He proved himself to be a good man in the end."

"Yeah? I won't be surprised if your great-grandfather turned out to be a pirate."

Joe gave her a look that could kill.

Michael was introducing Bob to Jekyll and they had a nice long chat about worldly issues, with Jekyll mostly just nodding affirmatively. Joe got into an argument with the two girls, and now they were all sulking.

Time had passed quickly, and very soon, Mr. Shaw had returned, along with several servants pushing trolleys of silver platters and the like. Forgetting their arguments for the time being, they happily tucked in to the impressive variety of food.

"Dinner is served."


	4. Daytime at the Mansion

**The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen:  
****The New Generation**

**Chapter 4  
****Daytime at the Mansion**

Joe was pulled out of his dreams by what appeared to be a noisy racket.

The sun was shining, a new day had arrived… and there was the sound of the piano echoing through the halls and into his room.

He had to admit, the playing was very good, but he hated classical music with a passion.

"Shaw, if this is your idea of an alarm, clock, it's not a very good one," he grumbled.

He decided he wasn't going to get up until the music stopped.

After ten seconds…

"Ah, bugger it."

Joe pushed himself up from his bed and rubbed his eyes, all the while thinking, "Who in their right minds would be up this early banging on that hell instrument… ?"

Still in his pyjamas, Joe wandered along the corridor towards the double doors at the end of the hallway. He pushed the doors open.

The room was a vast chamber, designed with good acoustics in mind. ("_Pity they didn't make it soundproof_," he thought.) There was an ancient grand piano in the center of the room, and sitting there was Jekyll with his eyes closed, banging out the last chords of the song.

Joe gaped at him.

"Bloody hell, Jekyll, are you playing in your sleep?"

Jekyll immediately opened his eyes. He had just noticed Joe.

"No, I'm very much awake, thank you _very_ much for asking. I was simply… rather involved… in my playing," Jekyll explained.

Joe gave him a look that said – who could possibly lose himself in classical music?

"Yeah. You know, keep doing that and that bloody thing's gonna fall apart."

"Yes, well… I suppose I shall have to take my chances, then," Jekyll replied evenly. "Now, if you'll excuse me…" He turned back to the piano and picked out the quiet, poignant melody of the Moonlight Sonata.

"Why couldn't you have played this instead when I was asleep… ?" Joe grumbled.

He left the music chamber and returned to wandering about aimlessly. A couple of doors past his room, right there in the doorway, stood Michael. _There_ was someone he could talk to!

On his way towards Michael, he saw Judy and Amy walk past his mate. "Hey, Michael," they said. What happened next was something Joe would never let Michael forget. Michael gave a little bow and said, "Good day, Miss Nemo." And then he stood there sort of gaping at Judy as the girls walk away.

Joe sauntered over, grinning. "Fancy her, don't you?" he chuckled, nudging Michael.

"Ugh… morning breath…" Michael said, edging away from Joe.

"Oi, you've got dog breath too, mate." Joe shuffled into Michael's room, leaving Michael at the doorway. "Hey, don't change the subject. You better be fancying Judy, 'cause if I catch you eying my girl like that – and don't you say you weren't –" he said as Michael opened his mouth to argue. Michael shut it. "If I catch you eying my girl, I'll prolly job you."

"No… I wasn't. Eying. Your. Girl," Michael said. "You've got a right nerve to suggest that too. I thought you were a mate. And hey, I don't think you can call her your girl yet, as we all know for a fact that she hates your guts."

"I am. I am your mate. I's just playing around. All right, you don't want to talk about your thing for Jude. Don't matter." Joe shrugged, and looked around Michael's room. "Same old sorry dump, innit? My room's the same, only smaller, I think."

"Yeah. At least you don't have spiders crawling in the corners."

"You got spiders? Wicked!"

* * *

Jekyll finished up his song. He looked up.

There was Amy and Judy sitting in the audience. When he had finished, they stood up and applauded.

Jekyll was gratified. He had never had a standing ovation before, even if it was just from two people.

He stood up and walked towards them.

"That was lovely," Judy told him. "Absolutely wonderful," Amy added.

Jekyll gave a wary smile. "Thank you." He looked at them. "Is there any reason why you came? Apart from listening to my playing, I mean."

"Um, yes," Amy said rather hurriedly. "Mr. Shaw said to get you all down for breakfast."

"Ah. Right." Jekyll headed for the door. "I shall see you in the dining hall, then." He left.

The girls walked back to Michael's room and stopped at the doorway.

"Boys?" Judy asked, pushing the door open and peering inside. No reply. They entered.

"Where on earth are they?" Amy asked.

In a completely random moment, Joe jumped out of the closet. "BOO!"

Amy took a step back, startled. "Joe, you moron, why'd you do that for?" she asked angrily.

"Oi, I'd like to ask you what you're doing in Michael's room." Joe folded his arms.

"We're here to tell you and Michael that Mr. Shaw said breakfast is ready," Judy said.

Michael walked in. "What's going on here? I go to the loo for one minute and here you lot are, having a party of some sort?"

"No," Joe said. "No party. I hope Amy wasn't coming in here to party." He glared at Amy.

"Why're you so possessive, Joe? We're not even involved… !"

"You may say that, Amy love, but if you're taken, I won't have a chance anymore, will I?"

"You never had a chance, Skinner."

He scowled at her.

As they left the room, Joe muttered, "Watch out, love, I'm going to prove you wrong some day. Just you watch."

On the way downstairs, they met up with Bob and the usual fare – the arguments, gossips, discussions – took place as they had breakfast.

Thus went a rather uneventful first day at the mansion.


End file.
